Carrot on a 5-day Stick

That’s what the weather forecast has been looking like all spring!

After yet another rainy weekend, the forecast promises improvement for the next Saturday. Tuesday comes around. Now the sun will come out on Sunday. When it’s Wednesday, the weekend doesn’t look that great anymore, but clear skies on Monday.

A new initiative of our weather men (and women) to keep the population from falling into complete despair?

Revelstoke - Easter Fly and Ski

Easter trip with Andrei and Elena to Revelstoke. First time for us to fly here. What a nice place to fly! The chair lift to launch makes for a very European feel. We had not skied at the resort after the new Ripper chair lift was added and did some skiing too to explore the new runs in the North Bowl. The runs just kept going and going and going. Quite the vertical! Pleasant warm temperatures in town, but still rather chilly in the morning before the sun hit the slopes and up in the air.

Pete after launching

Waiting for snow squall to end

Top of Stoke chair left, launch in the center below Mt Mackenzie, Rogers Pass area behind

Two flights for us on both Saturday and Sunday, with thermals, lots of sun, and some parawaiting for snow squalls to end and for the cross winds to calm down. Almost 1300 meters vertical between launch and LZ. Plenty of lift to climb over the top of Mt. Mackenzie from where we could admire the panorama of snow-covered peaks of the Selkirk Mountains near Rogers Pass.

Apart from one short test flight these were our first launches with ski and there was lots of new stuff to discover: strong wind in the face doesn’t work well for forward launching, since moving back isn’t easy on skis (a slight back wind is actually helpful), landing with some back wind is no problem cause its much easier to ski fast than to run fast. Flying my lightweight harness without using the footrest makes it feel more wobbly. And I didn't really like the close proximity of sharp metal edges to my paraglider lines.

Sunday was the last day of operations for the ski resort and in the afternoon it felt much saver in the air – too many partying kids all over the hill!

April Powder, April 1st

What a weekend! Cherry blossoms are finally out in Vancouver. Whistler got another meter of snow in the last 4 days. Plans were made to head to the Duffey Lake Road expecting OK conditions. What we found was excellent delightful fluffy pow! Initially our plan was to explore a different slope on Chief Pascal, but we found a fresh uptrack leading to our usual go-to place. We decided that our energy would be better spent on powder runs and not on putting in another track. Fortunately the trail-breakers ventured beyond ‘our spot’ leaving it untouched.

 In the evening the decision was made that this was worth staying the night in Pemberton for a repeat mission on Sunday. Over night it snowed another 20-30 cm and the skiing was even better. Weather was very variable with heavy snow, blue sky, sunshine and wind gusts. What a nice surprise to get the best powder of the season on April 1st. And not an April fools joke…

Woodside March Thermals

Our first thermal session of the year. Lots of pilots out. Good to see familiar faces after the winter break. I didn't venture as far as Pete who did an out and return almost to St Bennie. Instead I flew a little triangle over to Harrison River, back to launch where a sweet cumulus cloud had grown and lift was plenty. Next I went across the Fraser, back to the cumulus elevator on launch and then over to Agassiz Mt. Unfortunately no lift to be found there. Increasing headwind on the way back stopped me at the dikes. Two hours air time, up to 1900 meter (1200 m above launch), 16 km triangle and a great flight to start the spring season.

Flying over Harrison River